Having seen Monsoon Wedding at a very young age and barely remembering the story, I decided to watch it again this week. Vague memories of simply a colourful and joyous wedding were replaced by a very immaculately crafted story that explores aspects of Indian culture and life with extreme honesty and only the slightest bit of embellishment where needed. The story follows different members of a family who have gathered for one daughter’s wedding and over the course of 4 days, many secrets, anguishes, desires and longings come out as the family rumbles over the hectic schedule of an Indian wedding.

What I like most about this movie is the simplicity in its storytelling - we follow characters through their individual journeys with utmost engagement and that is majorly due to the writer’s choice to include only the most emotional and monumental moments of their lives. This is not to say that the movie is a collection of sad moments - the movie is interspersed with dancing, singing, flirtations, midnight romance, and many other sorts of merriment which are depicted with equal genuineness as perhaps the grief or anger that afflict certain people.

The acting is stellar and is one of the most distinguishing aspects of this film with subtle nuances and a bravery rarely seen in Indian cinema. On all counts, Mira Nair does extremely well with her simple, straightforward and honest approach to this drama. Monsoon Wedding is extremely entertaining without losing the inherent insights into people and the complexities of their lives.